


Touch

by SpecialHell



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, First Meetings, M/M, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Relationships, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-23
Updated: 2020-01-23
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:46:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22375147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SpecialHell/pseuds/SpecialHell
Summary: Bucky is very touch-oriented.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Comments: 17
Kudos: 135





	Touch

"Thor's coming tonight." Bucky sat at the breakfast bar, phone in hand, as Sam brushed cat hair off his jacket. Being roommates with Bucky had its advantages - he made a good breakfast and always set the dvr on shows he knew Sam would like - but constantly picking white hair off his dark coloured clothes was tedious to say the least.

"That's great," Sam replied. "I haven't seen him since your PhD ceremony."

"He's been in Scandinavia, studying permafrost. He said he's going to bring a work friend with him tonight."

"Just a friend, or..."

Bucky chuckled at Sam's insinuation. They'd both been trying to set Thor up with someone for years.

"He just said 'friend' and he didn't sound all weird when he said it, like he used to with Sif."

Sam gave a noncommittal shrug and took his jacket off the rack. "C'mon, we'd better head out." Nodding his agreement, Bucky put his phone into the inside pocket of the leather jacket he was already wearing, and hopped off the stool as Sam opened the front door.

~

Bucky wouldn't say he was drunk. Sam definitely would. They'd been at this club opening party for almost two hours, and Thor had yet to arrive.

"I know you're missing your Teddy Bear," Sam laughed. "But slow down on the shots, man. I'm not carrying your drunk ass home."

"I'm not drinking because Thor's not here," Bucky protested. "I'm drinking because we haven't been out socially in Eight Goddamn Months!" Bucky handed Sam a neon green liquid in a shot glass and grinned. "Catch up."

Sam shook his head ruefully, but he accepted the shot glass and knocked it back all the same. Bucky accepted the glass back and bounced off to the bar, the sound of Sam's laughter flowing behind him.

Bucky was next in line at the bar when he noticed someone. A tall, broad, blond someone, and his insides did a happy jig. It had to be Thor. Nobody else had shoulders that wide. Bucky's feet were already carrying him towards the man in question when he noticed something was different.

"Oh my god!" Bucky grabbed Thor from behind, arms around his stomach in a crushing hug as he screamed. "You cut your hair? Why didn't you warn me?! I've been looking for those golden locks all night!" It took a second longer for Bucky to realise something else was different. The waist on the man Bucky was hugging was far too narrow to be Thor, and whoever it was had stiffened at the contact between them. Thor would have turned around and picked Bucky up by now. It was then that he heard the familiar bellow from across the room.

"Barnacle!"

Bucky turned his head to see Thor - hair still very much intact - striding towards him with a wide grin and a wave. The man Bucky was still holding on to turned towards the voice too, and Bucky hastened to let go. He felt a hand skim his arm, almost as if the man didn't want him to let go, but that had to be the drink playing tricks on Bucky's mind.

Bucky didn't have the chance to apologise, or even to look at the mystery man, before Thor was lifting him off his feet in a most welcome bear hug.

"I see you've met my friend Steve," Thor gestured towards the other blond as he set Bucky down on his feet. "Steve, this is James Barnes. He's a very good friend of mine."

"Call me Bucky," his cough and outstretched hand were met with soft bemusement and an answering handshake. "Sorry about... that," Bucky tilted his head to vaguely refer to what went before. "I thought you were him."

"Nice to meet you, Bucky," Steve seemed to hold onto Bucky's hand for longer than necessary. "Don't worry about it, a lot of people get us confused from a distance."

Bucky didn't know what to say to that, and the gentle smile being directed at him wasn't helping. He was thankful for the reprieve when Thor reached out and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. It took no coaxing at all for Bucky to tuck himself into Thor's side, inhaling the familiar scent and wrapping his arms around the - much thicker than Steve's - waist. He could feel Thor rumbling out some kind of conversation, but he wasn't paying attention. It was only when Thor began to move did he raise his head to look around.

"We're heading for that booth," Thor murmured to Bucky, gesturing with his free hand. Bucky nodded and reluctantly released his hold.

"I'll go find Sam."

~

This was heaven. Bucky was practically sitting in Thor's lap, heavy hand around his waist, with a sipping tequila in front of him, and the melodic sound of Sam deep in an excited discussion just out of his sightlines. It took a moment for Bucky to notice a concerned look being levelled at him, and that's when he realised the ankles he'd captured with his own weren't Sam's, but Steve's.

Bucky looked up at the handsome new addition and gave a small smile. The crease in Steve's brow didn't disappear, so Bucky carefully extricated his legs. Steve must not be the tactile type. No big deal; even if Bucky really wanted to use him like a blanket.

"Hey Little Barnacle," Thor's voice in his ear made Bucky jump. How long had he been staring at Steve?

"Hmm?" was all Bucky trusted himself to say as he turned his head towards Thor.

"Could you hop up a minute? I want to talk to Steve."

Bucky nodded, untangled himself from Thor and slid out of the booth. Thor tilted his head towards Steve and the other blond didn't need to be told to move. They left Bucky's line of sight and Bucky tried to hold in a wistful sigh.

"Man, I haven't seen you react that fast to someone in a _long_ time." Bucky turned his attention to Sam, who was wearing a knowing smile and had shifted around to be closer to his roommate.

"Oh god, am I really obvious?" Bucky lamented. "I honestly thought I had your ankle, not his! He obviously doesn't want me touching him, did you see his face?!"

"Hey," Sam's voice took on that stern edge it always got when someone he cared about was being too hard on themselves. "Not everyone is as touchy-feely as us. That doesn't mean he doesn't like you."

Bucky swallowed back all the arguments he wanted to make. He'd had enough to drink that his usually hidden self esteem issues were raising their heads. Instead he nodded and moved to stand. "I'm gonna go get a water. You want anything?" Sam shook his head. The understanding smile on his face wrapped around Bucky's heart and squeezed.

~

"Are you ok?" Thor didn't bother with preamble. As soon as he and Steve were in a quiet spot, he'd rounded on his friend with concerned features.

"I'm... Fine. I'm good." Steve tried to smile but it wasn't coming. How could he, after what he'd done? "Hey, uh, I'm sorry."

"Sorry? What for?"

"For trying so hard to hook you up with that model. If I'd known about Bucky I wouldn't have pushed."

"About Bucky?" Thor looked truly confused now.

"Yeah," Steve did force himself to smile now. "He seems like a really great guy. If I'd known you were already seeing someone-" Steve's speech was cut off by Thor bursting into giggles. It was Steve's turn to be confused.

"Bucky isn't my boyfriend," Thor explained. "He's my dearest friend, and we love each other deeply, but it's platonic."

Steve didn't realise he'd let out such a heavy sigh of relief until he saw the glint in Thor's eye.

"Wait a minute. Is that why you've been weird tonight? You like Bucky and you thought he was mine?"

Steve could feel himself blushing, and he went willingly when Thor pulled him into a hug. When they parted, Thor looked into Steve's eyes and became serious.

"Bucky deserves to be happy. I know you are a good man, and I trust you to take care of him." Steve nodded at the solemn words, as if his agreement was akin to taking an oath. "Just remember that he will always crave touch from those he loves. Do not make him ashamed of it, or we will be having words."

At that Steve couldn't help but grin. Thor was scary if you crossed someone he cared about, and Steve was intensely happy that Bucky had someone like that in his corner. Thor's answering smile was bright and he pulled Steve along by the shoulder to rejoin the table.

Bucky pulled up short when he saw Thor and Steve. They were all heading back to the table now, and the thought of making conversation with Steve sent fear shooting through Bucky's heart. That fear quickly turned to confusion and then something else entirely when Steve noticed Bucky and broke into a warm, beautiful smile. Thor had his arm wrapped around Steve's shoulder, so when Steve turned his body towards Bucky, Thor noticed. Bucky looked to Thor and, at his friend's questioning look, held up his glass of water. Steve slipped out from Thor's grasp and slid into the booth next to Sam - this time on his opposite side. Thor tilted his head towards Bucky, who stepped forward and put his glass down on the table. He didn't have time to ask before Thor was herding him into the booth: placing Bucky between Thor and Steve. When Bucky looked over to Sam, he was chatting to Steve as if everything was normal. As if the heat of Steve's body next to Bucky wasn't ramping up his heart rate, even as the assured presence of Thor the other side worked to soothe his nerves.

The next hour was spent in companionable company, with everyone trading stories and laughter. Bucky didn't notice himself gravitating towards Steve as the night went on. He didn't realise when his ankles became once again entangled with Steve's. Thor's arm was heavy and comforting across Bucky's shoulders, and he almost missed the shift that brought Steve's arm around his back; one broad hand resting on his hip. In fact, it wasn't until Bucky could feel the gentle caress of Steve's breath through his hair that Bucky noticed how close they were. He turned to head slightly to catch Thor's eye, and his friend gave a knowing smile in return. When Bucky turned his attention back to Steve, he was looking down at Bucky with impossibly soft features.

"Hi," Steve said, low enough that only Bucky could hear.

"Hi," was all Bucky could say in return. They stared at each other for hours or maybe just seconds; the moment only broken by the teasing tone of Sam's chuckle.

"Man, just kiss him, will ya? I'm getting hives just watching this lovey dovey nonsense."

Steve laughed softly but didn't look away from Bucky. His eyes held a question, and a single small nod from Bucky was all it took for Steve to close the distance and press their lips together. The sound of Sam and Thor cheering became white noise as Bucky sank into Steve's embrace, eyes closed and heart racing. The moment ended, and Bucky felt like the swooning maiden in a fairytale as he looked at Steve again.

Their moment was broken by Thor moving beside them. For a heart stopping second, Bucky was afraid that Thor was leaving. That maybe he wasn't ok being close when Bucky and Steve were kissing or touching. He turned his head to see what Thor was doing, and the fear must have been written all over his face, because Thor's answering expression was soft, and he raised a hand to run it through Bucky's hair.

"I have to pee," Thor said with a lopsided smile, and Bucky giggled more at his own insecurities than at the declaration. "Then I think it's time we headed home."

Bucky was saved from another bout of panic by Sam's voice. "You're coming back with us, yeah?"

"Of course," Thor grinned at Sam. "I haven't had my Wilson cuddle time yet."

Thor got up and left, at which point Steve turned a confused look towards Bucky and then Sam.

"Wilson what?"

"Sam Wilson," Bucky gestured to Sam with the arm that was now free without Thor there. Sam gave a wave and a smirk. "Sam's not big on PDA. We do all our cuddling at home."

"Oh. Ok." Steve accepted the information with a nod and Bucky was shocked at how easy he was taking this. No potential boyfriend had been ok with this before. 

"Since there's four of us," Sam picked up the conversation again, and Bucky wanted squeeze him for seamlessly including Steve when he felt the blond relax further into his side. "I'm thinking we do it like college. Couch cushions and pillows on the floor, all the blankets we own, some dumb movie on the TV."

"Sounds like heaven," Steve spoke up and, ok, so Bucky was definitely keeping this one.

He told Thor as much in whispered tones as they headed out into the night. Thor's smile was so large it barely fit his face, and Bucky couldn't have been happier


End file.
